Star Wars The Clone Wars: Safeguard
by thechancellor
Summary: The Clone Wars have just started and already the Separatists are attacking at full force. Jedi Knight Oris Kalner is sent to Nal Hutta with two clones, Pak and Appo, to protect the Hutt families who have been supposedly targeted by the Separatists. But there is more to the Hutts than it seems...


The smell was infiltrating his helmet now, and it was killing him. Why couldn't the Hutts live on a nice, clean-smelling, world like Alderaan or Taris. But no, the Hutts loved on the bog and fog, as most people called it, world of Nal Hutta. In Huttese, Nal Hutta meant 'Glorious Jewel' which was only true to the Hutts. The smell of the toxic swamps was now not only destroying his nostrils, but it was now also giving him a massive headache.

"Stang," the clone said rubbing his head. "I haven't smelled anything this bad since the training lockers on Kamino." He had turned his private com in his helmet so that the only one who heard him was the other clone in the gunship.

The other clone chuckled then switched on his private com also. "You always did have a weak nose, didn't you Appo?"

"Eh, I blame the Kaminoians," Appo joked.

The other clone, Pak, smirked through the dark-colored visor of his helmet. The only other person in the gunship, Jedi Knight Oris Kalner, must have had 'sensed' that they were using their private coms because he looked at them both and gave a slight smile. Not a smile of happiness, but one that said "I'm watching you." The clones then switched their private com off and stood at attention, not saying anything.

The Jedi continued to smile then turned back to face the other direction. He was rather unusual for a Jedi. Most people, including clones, pictured all Jedi to be tall, well-built people with a very focused mind. Oris Kalner was just the opposite. Sure he was well-focused, but his outward appearance was... strange. He was short, nearly six inches shorter than the average adult human male and his hair was colored bright yellow, not natural of course. Pak had told him that on his original squad when they had first met Kalner one of the rookies had rudely asked, "Aren't you a little short for a Jedi?" Kalner cleverly responded with, "Aren't you a little tall for a clone trooper?"

"We're almost at the landing point," Kalner told them, not bothering to turn his head.

"Good," Pak said. "I can't wait to get this over with."

"Yeah," Appo butted in. "I can't stand those krifffing Hutts."

"Well, Hutts will be Hutts I suppose. Nothing we can change about that," Kalner sighed.

Shortly, the gunship landed and the blastdoors opened up. The clones followed the Jedi out onto the landing platform, the gunship's doors shut behind them, and it flew off. Where they had landed made them all want to find the nearest ship and depart as soon as possible. The landing platform they had landed at was stationed on a local village. The village smelled worse than the actual swamps. Hutts, some kind of mutated humans, and Pa'Lowicks roamed the muddy streets of the village, most looking at them as the three of them came further into the town.

"Um, Sir. Where are we going?" Pak asked.

"To find a speeder, we're gonna need some way around these swamps."

They walked down several more damp roads until at last they reached the other side of the village. At the edge of the village was the green, bubbly swamp. Appo wanted to throw up just by looking at it. On the swamp banks were several speeders, swamp skimmers to be exact. After examining the few speeders that were available, Kalner approached the owner of the one on the far left, a Pongeeta-class.

"Greetings!" he said to the owner, one of the mutated humans.

"Hi chuba da naga?" the mutant asked.

"What is he saying?" Pak asked Kalner.

"He's speaking Huttese, I'm a little rusty but let me try to communicate," the Jedi paused, trying to remember something. "Kava che copah, ting cooing koo soo ah."

"Duhonocha," the mutant told him after scratching his head in thought.

"Duhonocha moulee-rah! Eniki..." Kalner sighed again then gave all the credits he had to the mutant.

The mutant gave them all a satisfied, but creepy, smile then stepped out of their way. The mutant walked backwards into the streets while still watching the three of them. His mutated skull bulging out of the shadows as he fell away. Kalner led Appo and Pak onto the speeder and sat down. The speeder was heavily worn, but apparently Kalner thought it was the best one of all the speeders. And Jedi, Appo had told himself, always make the right decisions. Once they were all seated, Kalner hit the ignition button and they speed off into the swamps, right towards the home of the Hutts.


End file.
